History of Lago Peten Itza

The city of Flores, the capital of El Petén, lies on an island near its southern shore. There are at least 27 Maya sites around this lake and the remains from Tayasal, the Maya-Itza capital, and the last one to be conquered in Mesoamerica in 1697.

This lake is also a wildlife paradise, with more than 100 important indigenous species such as the red snook fish (Petenia splendida), crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii and Crocodylus acutus), jaguars (Panthera onca), Pumas (Puma concolor), White-tailed deer(Odocoileus virginianus), red brocket (Mazana americana), and several bird species, including parrots, toucans, and macaws. On its northeast shore is the Cerro Cahui Protected Biotope, a natural reserve for butterflies is a 1,600-acre (6.5 km2) reserve is home to toucans, spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata,Alouatta pigra), and many other rain forest species